Sautéed Apple & Cheddar Crepes for a stormy Sunday

Hurricane Irene passed through Quebec this weekend, demoted along it’s way to a “tropical storm”, but still chilling and blustery enough to make brunch the only sensible option for a bunch of skids on a cozy Sunday morning. Cloudscapes came over early to make crepes, and after braving the icy rains for some apples and cream, we headed on to the kitchen to get the butter-sugar-flour-eggs-vanilla from the cupboard to find….. butter-sugar-flour-eggs-vanilla already laid out and toasty morning-pan smells coming from our rickety stove and wafting back through the hall. Room-mates/great minds thinking so alike! They were making sparkle-cakes, though. Ie; pancakes doused liberally with good cheer and party sprinkles.

It wasn’t much work to throw together a reliable crepe batter – Alton Brown’s does the trick – cook some fruit up with maple syrup and whip up a bit of fresh cream, and soon breakfast was served. Eeeeek! Finally. Starved by then, and happy to see that the sangria could be enjoyed alongside straight white wine, since it was after 3 PM by the time we sat down! Aha!

In a blender combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours.

Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce (2-3 tablespoons) of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.

Sauteed Apples

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 large cooking apples (Granny Smith or Yellow Delicious are nice)

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey or golden syrup

generous grating of fresh nutmeg

pinch of cinnamon

zest of half a lemon

Cook butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to brown. Add apples and sauté until tender, about 9 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients; stir to blend. Cool. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.)

Putting it All Together…

grated sharp white cheddar

syrup

icing sugar

whipped cream and chocolate (if you feel like going over the top… we did this but I don’t think it was necessary)

Preheat your oven to broil.

Take a crepe and spoon some of the hot apples into the center. Top with a small handful of cheese and broil until the cheese is just melted through, then fold up any way you like and top with your favourite things.